THIS IS THE BEST PIZZA

Megan invented this pizza with her brain. Which I think basically means she is a perfect cook and everything we make from now on will be the most delicious meal we have ever eaten.

Ingredients:
1 raw pizza dough (buy it pre-made, don't bother making it)
3 T pesto
1 ball of fresh mozzarella
1 pear
1/4 cup roasted, salted pistachios
1 onion
3 cups arugula
1 c balsamic vinegar, reduced

Directions:
1. Roll out the pizza dough on a floured surface.
2. Bring 1 c balsamic vinegar to a boil, then turn down to a simmer until it is reduced by half.
3. Chop onion into slices, caramelize.
4. Chop pear and mozzarella into thin slices.
5. Shell pistachio (or buy shelled pistachios if you're made of $$).
6. To assemble, spread pesto over crust, then pile on mozzarella, pears, pistachios, and onions.
7. Cook at 400 until crust is golden brown (about 20 mins).
8. Once pizza is done, let cool for a few minutes, then pile arugula on top and pour balsamic all over.

Serves 3.

Sweet Potato Quesadillas

We came up with this as a way to use our leftover avocado cream sauce. And it was a great way. Warning: VERY FILLING.

Ingredients:

2 large sweet potatoes

1/2 onion

1 bell pepper (not green, yuck)

Olive oil

Cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, etc.

Pepper jack cheese

2 large flour tortillas

Directions:

1. Chop sweet potatoes into a small dice, toss with oil and spices, and roast at 400 until tender (30 mins).

2. Saute onion and bell pepper in oil with seasoning.

3. Put sweet potatoes, onions, and peppers in blender and blend until mashed.

4. Grate pepper jack cheese (buy a block and grate it yourself, pre-grated cheese is inferior).

5. Spread sweet potato mixture onto half a tortilla, add cheese on top.

6. Fold in half and warm on the stove.

7. Serve with avocado cream sauce and salsa.

Serves 2 very hungry people.

Parsnip Tacos

Then we started to get more creative with parsnips. Basically anything can be made into a taco, right? Yup.

Ingredients:
Taco filling:
1 large onion
3-4 large parsnips
3-4 carrots
1/4 t cinnamon
1 t cumin
1 t chili powder
1 t smoked paprika
1 t salt
2 T olive oil

Avocado cream sauce:
1/2 c cream cheese
1/2 c sour cream
1 avocado
1/4 t sugar
1 t salt
1/2 t garlic powder

Black beans:
1/2 onion
2 cans black beans
1 bell pepper
1/4 c water
Cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, etc.

10 flour tortillas
Pico de gallo/salsa


Directions:
1. Chop parsnips, carrots, and onion into a small dice.
2. Toss with oil and spices and roast at 400 for 30 mins/until tender.
3. Saute onion and bell pepper with spices until onion is translucent
4. Add black beans and 1/4 c water. Simmer until tender.
5. Blend all ingredients for avocado cream sauce.
6. Toast tortillas on the stove.
7. Assemble tacos!

Recommended: serve with lemonade slush (freeze pink lemonade into 2 ice cube trays, blend with remaining pink lemonade).

Serves 5 very comfortably.

Parsnip Soup

Megan has about a million parsnips from her work's farm share. We started with this soup because of a delicious parsnip soup in Mystic, CT. It didn't quite compare, but the cream did add a lot. Try with coconut milk.

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:
2 T olive oil
1 t cumin
1/2 t turmeric
1 t smoked paprika
1 t salt
3-4 large parsnips
3-4 carrots
1 large onion
2 garlic cloves
1 tomato
4 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup cream

Directions:
1. Chop up the parsnips, carrots, and onion into a small dice.
2. Toss the vegetables with oil and spices.
3. Roast until tender (30 mins) at 400.
4. Blend roasted vegetables with 2 cups vegetable stock.
5. Add remaining 2 cups vegetable stock and cream, heat until barely simmering.

Serves approximately 4.